No room for interpretation. Let’s be honest – people like to ‘interpret’ rules in a way that benefits them.  I can say that I have bent the rules to get 6 more inches on my structure and block a competitor’s sign – and I have seen the error of my ways. With years of experience in dealing with exhibitors’ behavior, and having a written document, they are setting up expectations of the inflexibility that comes around trade shows.  And it is a necessity, due to the next point I will make.

Common sense is not so common.  Or in other words, people are not always bright.  The worst part is we do not, as a society, hold people accountable for obtaining knowledge.  That is why a cup of hot coffee has to say HOT – contents will burn.   They have to have endless lists of rules that seem obvious because attendees will blame the convention center for not informing them.  And so there is no question as to what is expected, the rules are listed so you cannot say ‘I didn’t know it.’

Level playing field.  One final item is to ensure that there is a level playing field for all attendees.  I know I would certainly run amuck trying to get the best space and as much signage as possible in my booth.  By establishing fair and standard ground rules, we all have to stay within those boundaries if we want to play.  I have seen one booth nearly shut down because they didn’t adhere to the rules and they initially refused to adhere to them.  By exhibiting and paying your fee, you are agreeing to a contract with the convention center and all the other attendees there – that you will accept and abide by those rules and regulations.

So, be happy that the rules exist.  I would hate to be an attendee in the late 1800’s where anything was fair game and you can have a booth today and have a burnt down pile of dust tomorrow.   It is what keeps our trade shows a fun and pleasant experience for all.

Lisa Apolinski is a writer and blogger, and has had the pleasure of being a trade show manager for over 11 years.  She currently lives in San Diego, close to the convention center.

If you have not done it yet, you need to pull that out and see where you are in terms of what you set out to accomplish for 2012.  Hopefully you have some tactics that went along with each of your strategies.  And hopefully the strategies are something you know like the back of your hand, and have been adding them to everything you have done for the year.

Let’s see how you can check yourself and make sure you are on track:

First, look at the big picture – what were the three or four strategies you had decided to undertake for 2012?  How were these strategies tied into your sales department strategies and your overall company-wide strategy?  How are they tied into those strategies now that you are mid-way through your year?  Has anything changed where you need to realign yourself with the overall strategy?  Things do change and aligning yourself now will help you achieve the company’s goals and show you are nimble when it comes to where the company is going.

Next, review what tactics you were hoping to achieve and do a comparative analysis to where you are to date.  Some items you have completed, I am sure.  Some items you have on tap to achieve in the latter half of the year.  Some items you have had to table completely due to unforeseen circumstances, and some items you are behind on (and now is the time to note that and why so you can get extra resources to hit them if they are critical to your strategic plan).  This is also the time to review resources and of course, budget.  Can you ask for an incremental spend to hit your strategies and help hit the overall company goals?   If you can, now is the time to do it and get that final push to the end of the year.

You have reviewed where you wanted to go and where you currently are.  What is left?  Sharing this information with your team and with your executives, so they too are ‘in the know’.  It is also a good time to remind people about that marketing strategy and what you wanted to accomplish for the year, as well as any new initiatives/direction (I got thrown a social media strategy on my plate that I wasn’t expecting, so I have added that in so my team, as well as my executive committee, know what extra work we are doing).  Since you are the driver of the strategy bus, point out any detours and how that will affect your arrival time, as well as any good advances along the way.   This is also the time to get a renewed alignment from your team to the strategies you have developed and started to implement.

Yes, we are at mid-year.  Don’t panic!  Take the time to review and check your alignment and readjust as needed.  You can feel good about what you have done and refocus on what you need to do, which will get you to the end of the year.

Lisa Apolinski is a writer and blogger, and has had the pleasure of being a trade show manager for over 11 years.  She currently lives in San Diego, close to the convention center.

LA:  How did you get into trade shows and what training did you have?

JS:  After my studies, I was doing some freelance projects for exhibition and trade show events. Later I joined a company in Dubai as a Creative Designer. Along with my design work I spent some time in production to understand the technology and possibilities, and I got a chance to supervise the stands at the site. For the past two years, I have been helping clients make their vision a reality. I have also done my own stands with leading exhibition production companies in U.A.E and abroad. As a designer, I need to know how suppliers and the design work together to come up with the best solution for my client.

LA:  Do you see trends emerging in the Middle East for using these materials?

JS: We create quite a few modular and custom made booths for the exhibitors. In the last year at the Gitex Technology Show, we produced an Octanorm Shell-Scheme stand, and for the Arab Health Show we made the same material booth for the Canada Pavilion.

[For those of you unfamiliar, Octanorm is a shell scheme booth made from aluminum.  It is great for a last minute booth display.  You can build your shell into various sizes, and quickly affix graphics to it as needed.  Plus the material is very light weight, great for shipping, installation and dismantling.]

In terms of trends in the Middle East, we have clients who want a customized booth with Octanorm Shell-Scheme.  The Octanorm booth is a lower budget stand that we can provide the client to give them a good cost option, and the production and installation is quite fast compared to other options.

LA:  Do you see certain trends happening in booth sizes (getting bigger or smaller), use of vertical space (double decker structures) and graphic design?

JS: We are seeing not only use of the stand itself for graphic display, but a strong move to hanging signage.  And customized graphics are quite prevalent.

LA: Any predictions in graphics and materials as we finish up 2012 and move into 2013?

JS: Watch for new trends like 3D lamination and carpet graphics, LED lighting and other lower cost materials – client want to have the best show possible and still stay well within budget.

Hopefully I can see these trends for myself – and I have even more of a reason to visit Dubai.

Lisa Apolinski is a writer and blogger, and has had the pleasure of being a trade show manager for over 11 years.  She currently lives in San Diego, close to the convention center.

One of Sivan Designs for Dubai

From the show floor

Which got me thinking:  what can you learn from Cirque du Soleil that you can apply to your next show?

1.  Start the show before the show starts.  Cirque doesn’t wait until the show starts to start the show.  They have their ‘clowns’ out and about, acting and interacting with the audience before the show begins.  This is true for your staff members.  They can interact and start engaging show attendees long before the show opens, not only with communication before the event, but opportunities that my arise from seeing attendees in the hotel, restaurant, bar, etc.  Have your sales staff keep their eyes open and not miss opportunities to nurture relationships.

Under the big top

2. Their passion is obvious – and contagious.  The performers in a Cirque show are clearly the best and are passionate about what they do, which is why their performance does more than just entertain.  I know you can think off the top of your head a few key booth staff members who are truly passionate about what they are bringing to the show.  Don’t miss out on taping into that passion for both your staff (to inspire) and attendees (to engage).  If several members of your staff bring their A game, the rest of your staff will work that much harder to keep up.  That will make each trade show a memorable one.

3.  Set the scene.  Cirque does a great job setting the scene with their stage, venue and storyline.  When you plan your booth, are you really working out the scene you want set, or are you going through the motions?  Each trade show has the potential to be your best show ever, and having the right backdrop makes a big difference.  It doesn’t have to be so complicated or over-the-top.  You can do alot with a really good booth set up, graphics and technology.  You just have to take the time and put in the effort to get there.

4.  Make the experience memorable.  If you can say anything about a Cirque show, you can certainly say that the experience is completely memorable.  Every single item in the show is set to be exciting and something you can take away as good entertainment.  The same standard should be set for your trade show.  Displays should be engaging, demonstrations solid and interesting, and technology used to help develop the total experience.  You do not want anyone to pull out a business card or one of your brochures, and not remember what they saw.  Now, this does not mean hiring the Chicago Luvabulls to dance in your booth (which I agree, you will remember, but I cannot even remember the company that hired them, and it was just a few years ago).  This means having each of your booth elements work in tandem to drive home your message and the overall experience.  Don’t do random here.

5.  They don’t repeat.  Each Cirque show is different.  They could repeat the same ones, but the idea is that you have a limited amount of time to experience that particular show.  If your attendees think they are going to see the same thing as last year, and the year before that, why should they bother to stop by?  I have an issue with doing the same booth set up, let alone the same tired demonstrations.  If you are planning things out (yes, you need to plan), you should be able to ‘up the anty’ on your booth and demonstration.   Mix it up so that it stays fresh, and your attendees are kept wondering what you are doing next to showcase your products and services.

Take a few pointers from Cirque – and make your next trade show a great experience for you and your attendees.

Lisa Apolinski is a writer and blogger, and has had the pleasure of being a trade show manager for over 11 years.  She currently lives in San Diego, close to the convention center.

If this dog can take a risk, so can you

I will admit it – I am one of those crazy ‘pet parents’ and I spend way too much money on my pets.  The marketing concept of the ‘pet parent’ gives me liberties to spend money without shame.  After all, I am a ‘pet parent’, and I want to make my ‘pet children’ happy.  Why else would I feel ok to take my dogs to surf lessons and get them doggie surf gear?  I don’t, but there is always that option.

But that got me thinking about bold ideas.  How often do we as trade show managers and marketers really push the envelope when it comes to our campaign ideas?  Are we playing it safe, or do we take a risk and try something unconventional and big?  There is a struggle between doing what we know and doing what we strive to become.

My question as I write this blog is not how do we get the big idea, because I know we all have had them and said, wow, if only I could sell this and get it implemented.  The question is just that – how do you keep the doubt at bay and get people to buy in to your idea, and take that bold risk.  I know many of us think that the culture of the company gives either room for that kind of freedom or squashes those big dreams.  It may be simplier than that.

The first step is having your big idea properly formed and having the answers to some of the questions you will get asked.  If you can think your idea through all the way to the end, and you have a vision and can see it, you can work towards it.  The other part of this step is that if you want to really develop your idea, youhave to buy into it first.  It is ok to have a ‘great’ idea, only to realize you missed something important that kills the entire thing.  When I was reading Steve Jobs’ autobiography, I was struck by how many bad ideas he had.  He wasn’t afraid to have bad ideas, because all you really need is one good idea (or one great idea) to make all the bad ones seem worth it.

The second step is developing your idea on paper so that someone else can follow it.  If you have a champion – or risk taker – identified in your group, you can write your idea as if you are explaining it to that person.  This person becomes your sounding board, and you can correct and modify to your idea.  This is much easier with someone you trust and who you feel will be honest with you.  This is the time to have someone poke holes in your big idea or help to truly solidify the idea as great.

Then the final step comes, which is starting to gain support and selling this idea.  In some organizations, that means one conversation with an executive to get him or her on board, and they do the heavy lifting for you.  For other organizations, it is your job to sell it to the team and get buy in.  This should be the fun part – as the team starts to embrace the idea and sees the potential, it develops a life of its own.  And the idea can go places that you may not expect.  But that is the enjoyment of creating ideas – they can exceed your expectations.

I am currently working on a campaign to relaunch one of our products, and I have asked the leader of that group to think big.  If we want to really put a stake into the ground, and have a strong push, we need to think well beyond what we are comfortable with.  I am very excited with the concepts so far, and we are developing them further to really hone in on the message, and truly be bold.

My rally cry to my readers – start taking some risks!  If you get to do some bold things, you will never want to go back to the safe routine.

Lisa Apolinski is a writer and blogger, and has had the pleasure of being a trade show manager for over 11 years.  She currently lives in San Diego, close to the convention center.

Our kids have something to teach us about the workplace

I was just reading a recent blog about What your 9 year old can teach you about selling.  While the title is a bit cliché, it did get me thinking about how a child views the world, and how we can be reminded of what we knew in our youth and try to capture that spirit in our marketing and trade shows.

1.  Simple does not mean simplistic – if you even look at the visual on the above blog, the sign is pretty straightforward:  Lemonade 50 cents each.  Sometimes we try to put so much information on our marketing, signage, advertisement, website, etc, that we don’t give the attendee or our customer a chance to discover, ask questions, and share only the information that they care about.  For instance:  the sign could say Lemonade, sugar-free, 15 ounces, 50 cents each, will accept cash only, no refills – you get the idea.  All this information detracts from the product, and the ‘negativity’ in the sign (cash only, no refills) may turn off your customer.  The same can be said for your signage.  Do you have something easy to read that draws them in, or do you do an info dump before they even have a chance to process what you are selling and say, hey, I could really go for that right now?  If your attendee or customer has a question, they will ask.  This also lets you know who is actually interested and who is tire kicking, so you can engage appropriately, and your salesmen can start a conversation around their needs.

2.  Fearless – Most children are not afraid to fail.  They will try different things and keep trying until they see what works.  Sometimes we hide behind focus groups and meetings and never actually implement anything.  Taking the risk to try something and having a few options are good for honing your message, increasing your attendees at your booth, or engaging your customers in new ways that develop relationships and lead to an interaction that has a human element to it.  So, be bold and see what campaigns and tactics you might want to try that you were hesitant to do before.  You won’t know if you don’t make the attempt.

3.  Team play – One more thing that we can learn from our children – the idea of working as a team.  Children are very good at listening to new ideas in a group, coming to a consensus, and then executing on what they want to do.  I almost feel our corporate culture beats that right out of us.  We bow to people who are more senior than us, and don’t speak up if we have an idea or a difference of opinion.  Yes, children certainly fight, but conflict is a good thing, if everyone has a chance to share and say what they think.  This goes back to my previous blog of the five dysfunctions of a team.  We avoid conflict to not hurt each other’s feelings.  Kids really don’t care if they hurt your feelings if they feel what you are doing is not the smartest or the best path (and I am sure anyone with kids reading this blog can attest to this).  They do not take differences of opinion as a personal assault – they take it as a difference of opinion. 

I read that Chopin would tell his pupils that simplicity is always the hardest step to master.  Maybe if we started working earlier, we would have that step down.

Lisa Apolinski is a writer and blogger, and has had the pleasure of being a trade show manager for over 11 years.  She currently lives in San Diego, close to the convention center.

Tactical:  Your ‘older’ attendees will need to touch and feel your exhibit.  Just like you send out direct mail pieces and small giveaways to make your marketing pieces come to life, use your demonstration and samples your attendees can take with them to get your booth alive.  For your older generations, seeing the demonstration helps to internalize your products and services.

Virtual:  Your younger crowd wants to see how you are using technology to enhance your product and services.  Technology and streamlining of processes in your booth are important, as much as the use of social media in your marketing outreach.  Video and the use of an iPad or smart phone in your demonstration can show how you can access services or support on the go.  This generation will be the decision makers of tomorrow, so this is not an area to slack. 

Visual:  All generations need to be marketed to in different facets.  This is true for both your marketing outreach as well as the booth itself.  Use both copy and graphics to communicate your message, and make sure the message is consistent.  This can be easily overlooked, so review all your communication together to make sure they are all giving a similar message.  And don’t be afraid to use copy and graphics as key players – we often times put them as secondary players in our booth, and they add to the two points above.

You can incorporate fairly easy points into your booth to capture your generational differences of your audience.  The key is thinking outside your generation.

Lisa Apolinski is a writer and blogger, and has had the pleasure of being a trade show manager for over 11 years.  She currently lives in San Diego, close to the convention center.

I had the privilege last night of dining at Mision19 in Tijuana, Mexico, and speaking with world renowned chef Javier Plascencia, who was featured in the January issue of the New Yorker.  I asked him what he looks for when he chooses a new restaurant to try (even though he never goes back because he has so many restaurants on his list).  His answers gave me some food for thought, and how we can use these ideas to transform our dining to a true culinary experience.

After a fantastic meal at Mision19

1.  Ingredients – it is interesting that Javier does a bit of research as to what ingredients the chef uses in his/her dishes.  I had not thought about that, but seeing any trends or clear omissions gives you an idea of the chef’s cooking philosophy and can help to elevate your dining.  If you are in an area that has a signature dish or local ingredients specific for the region, seeing how those are married in the menu may surprise you.  And it is beyond looking at the main ingredient (such as fresh fish in a coastal region) but also considering the spices, sauces, and supporting ingredients that the chef uses.  I will be viewing a given menu with a new eye.

2.  Culture – the culture of the area can greatly affect the choices on the menu.  In some of Javier’s restaurants, they serve a spaghetti taco, due to the Italian influence in the Baja region.  If you are not looking for the cultural nuances of an area and how they have been shaped, you can miss finds such as that to try.  Learning about the area can also showcase some of your old favorites, such as the Caesar salad, which originated from Tijuana, with hearts of romaine, egg, oil, Parmesan,  lemon and crushed garlic (and interestingly enough, was designed to be eaten with your fingers).    Yes, you can learn something on the road to dinner and your successful trade show.

3.  Adventurous spirit – I think the one thing I did learn last night as course after course of food appeared before me, selected by the chef himself, was to take recommendations from the chef and try new things.  For example, our first course was a parfait with tuna and avocado and a host of other ingredients that I cannot recall.  What I can tell you with certainty are two things:  if I had read ‘tuna in a parfait’ I probably would have skipped it; the mixture of the ingredients was beyond fantastic, and I probably could have consumed three of those ‘parfaits’.  It was an amazing course that I may not have tried if not for having an open mind.  Each course was an experience in and of itself, and took dining to a whole new level for me.

So, when you are preparing for your next trade show, take some time to decide on one or two restaurants to try.  If you can, call ahead and ask if the chef will be there that night and can make some recommendations for you.   And be ready to spend a few hours dining – after all, with all your hard work, you have earned it!

Now I need to plan my next dining experience in Tijuana…all this talk of food has made me hungry.

Lisa Apolinski is a writer and blogger, and has had the pleasure of being a trade show manager for over 11 years.  She currently lives in San Diego, close to the convention center.

Ancient Egypt and Romans had market places and bazaars, but the first ‘fair’ or exhibitionthat was documented was the “Foire de Saint Denis” near Paris, founded by King Dagobert in 629.  The Industrial Revolution during the 18th and 19th centuries helped to move exhibitions to a display of a broad range of goods, or what they termed Sample Fairs with the first of these fairs, the Leipzig Fair.

Large, public exhibitions also came to be around this time, starting with the French Industrial Exposition in 1844.  World’s fairs, or universal expositions, were very popular in the late 1800’s and early to mid 1900’s.  And one of the best known world’s fairs was the ”Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations”, held in Hyde Park, London in 1851.  This was the brain child of Prince Albert, husband to Queen Victoria.  It is said to have influenced the development of several aspects of today’s culture, including art-and-design education, international trade and relations, and tourism.

And of course, with the 20th and 21st centuries, we have taken exhibitions to a new level.  Exhibitions continue to rank as a very effective sales and marketing tool and present a unique opportunity for contact with attendees and vendors.  Attendees can see, touch, hear, feel and experience products before purchasing, and the trade show industry continues to grow, with over 21 million (yes, million) people attending shows and conventionseach year.  And chew on this fact: if the average cost to attend a trade show is approximately $600/person, that means that over $12 billion dollars are spent by attendees each year.  That is alot of parking, coffee, and bad convention food.

I believe trade shows are here to stay, especially as we engage technology to enhance the trade show experience.  And I am understanding why exhibitions have been around for quite some time, with the creativity we bring to the trade show experience.

Lisa Apolinski is a writer and blogger, and has had the pleasure of being a trade show manager for over 11 years.  She currently lives in San Diego, close to the convention center.

We as trade show managers are constantly on a treadmill of activity- if we aren’t in the midst of a trade show, we are following up after the fact or starting to plan the next one.  Taking a day where you do nothing related to your normal activity can help center you in your everyday work.  It is easy to take this day and still do errands, or other activities that are not part of gracious living.  But, it is important to really take a day for ourselves.

What would you do on your Day of Gracious Living?  Here is my short list:

1.  Read – I never seem to have the time to read just for fun and to lose myself in the pages of a well written novel.

2. Be present – If I take a walk or go to Balboa Park, it is easy for me to concentrate on getting to where I need to go rather than really look around and take in all that is there.  Being present is one of the hardest things to do and the simplist to enjoy.

3.  Nap – I think of napping as an activity for when a person is sick or on vacation.  Why should it?  Taking even a 20 minute nap can help the creative juices flow and coe up with some inspiring ideas.

4. Do something out of the norm – Maybe it is going to the local nursery to get some new flowers to plant, or going to a mid day movie, but sometimes doing something completely out of the normal routine can help  break you out of a rut.

5. Think – In my job, I am doing so often, I have to set time aside to think, whether it is strategy, messaging, or a new campaign idea.  It is an integral part of our job, but one sometimes limited to the car ride into and out of the office, or in the shower.  Contemplate – and become inspired.

Take your Day of Gracious Living and use it to recharge, renew, and re-engage.  You will be glad you did.

Lisa Apolinski is a writer and blogger, and has had the pleasure of being a trade show manager for over 11 years.  She currently lives in San Diego, close to the convention center.